Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c29.120

c29.120

The movements among the Ānavas and Druhyus seem to have been connected. The Ānavas (p. 108) rose to power about this time under two able kings, Mahāśala and Mahāmanas, and the latter appears to have encroached on the east of the Panjab, because he is styled a cakravartin and lord of the seven dvīpas.¹ Under his two sons, Uśīnara and Titikṣu, the Ānavas divided into two branches. One branch headed by Uśīnara² established separate kingdoms on the eastern border of the Panjab (p. 109), namely, those of the Yaudheyas, Ambaṣṭhas, Navarāṣṭra and the city Kṛmilā; and his famous son Śivi Auśīnara (pp. 39–41) originated the Śivis³ in Śivapura and, extending his conquests westwards, founded through his four sons the kingdoms of the Vṛṣadarbhas, Madras (or Madrakas), Kekayas (or Kaikeyas) and Suvīras (or Sauvīras), thus occupying the whole of the Panjab except the north-west corner. The Druhyus ruled in the Panjab at that time (ante), so that Śivi and his sons must have driven them back into that corner, which became known as Gāndhāra after the Druhyu king Gāndhāra. There the Druhyus maintained their position permanently, and it is said that five generations afterwards they began to multiply and in time founded many principalities in the mleccha countries in the northern region beyond India.⁴ They would have formed the dominant kṣatriya class there and have also carried their religion there.